Joao Fonseca, the rising tennis star from Brazil, has been making his presence felt on the international stage notably after his recent victory at the Argentina Open. He vanquished the crowd favorite, Francisco Cerundolo, and seized his first ATP Tour title, thereby setting tongues wagging in the tennis fraternity.
Fonseca has always admired and aspired to emulate the style of the Swiss tennis legend, Roger Federer. His admiration for Federer has also influenced his perspective on the long-standing debate regarding the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) in tennis. The GOAT title contention often revolves around the ‘Big 3’ – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, each a master of the sport in their own right.
Despite Djokovic’s impressive statistical dominance in the sport, Fonseca considers Federer as the ultimate GOAT. His admiration for Federer was evident when he stated in an interview, “They can say that Djokovic is the greatest of all time, but for me, Federer is the greatest. Unrivaled.”
To comprehend Fonseca’s choice, it’s worth delving into some statistics. Djokovic, the Serbian titan, has clinched 24 Grand Slam singles titles, compared to Nadal’s 22 and Federer’s 20. Additionally, Djokovic has secured the most ATP Masters 1000 titles, triumphing 40 times, whereas Federer and Nadal have 28 and 36 titles, respectively.
In 2016, Djokovic, then aged 37, became the only player among the ‘Big 3’ to have held all four Majors simultaneously. He also boasts of a record 428 weeks at the apex of the world rankings – a period that is double of Nadal’s tenure at the top and over two years longer than Federer’s reign. Djokovic’s achievements don’t stop there. He has won a gold at the Olympics, a feat that eluded Federer, and has triumphed at the year-end ATP Finals, an accolade Nadal is yet to secure. Furthermore, Djokovic has the distinction of winning all nine Master’s Series events, a feat neither Federer nor Nadal have achieved.
Despite Djokovic’s staggering list of accomplishments, Fonseca’s admiration for Federer remains undiminished, leading him to favor the Swiss maestro in the GOAT debate. Fonseca’s emulation of Federer is also evident in his gameplay. However, he humorously recounts his unsuccessful attempt at copying Federer’s one-handed backhand during an interview.
Fonseca’s journey in tennis has been closely intertwined with his admiration for Federer. His recent ATP Tour victory has only strengthened his resolve to continue on this trajectory. Despite a disappointing first-round loss against Alexandre Muller in the Rio Open, the Brazilian sensation remains undeterred, aiming to bounce back stronger and continue making his mark in international tennis.
